New Blue Dial Haigh & Hastings Classic
Right off the back of a DHL truck, my second Haigh & Hastings Classic from Australia. Yes, I bought a second one on the strength of an ever cheaper price than the first one I bought if that's possible.
For the uninitiated, this blue dialed go almost anywhere and doing anything watch looks like this under the hood of it's modest packaging:
Movement: Automatic / made in Japan
Caliber: SII NH35A
316L Stainless steel case
Dial: Blue with silver tone hands and markers
Case Diameter: 42mm
Case Thickness: 12.2mm
Weight: 82 grams
Band: leather strap
Signed steel tang buckle
Lug-Width: 22mm
Sapphire crystal
Water Resistance: 200m/600ft
Screw-down crown
Co-founded in 2013 by Matt Sears and Simon Haigh, Haigh & Hastings is a down under brand (in Perth) with popular divers in it's stable of timepieces. However the Classic however will vex a certain type of watch enthusiast. Upfront the piece meets the required eurocentric timepiece criteria of being designed by none other than Emmanuel Gueit of Piaget, Harry Winston, Hermés, Audemars Piguet and Rolex fame. The NH35A movement from Japan for all intents and purposes is as stout as an inline 6 engine in a Jeep. And "made in Japan" has long fallen out of favor as something seen as low quality. However the Classic's big horological faux paux is being assembled in Hong Kong....gasp!!
As a devout region agnostic, I don't care where a watch is from so long as the quality is there and I see that in this watch. Cost is irrelevant to as that doesn't always figure into what a good watch is. The Classic started out at AUD788 back in 2016. I picked up this blue dial for $96! Talk about a huge and suspect drop in price. No way is thing thing worth over $700, but for $96 I truly bought the seller. And a good thing too because this watch on the surface is a jack of all trades but not really a master of any of them and it doesn't have to be, serves me as it is.
Fascinated with watches and clocks since childhood. Music (instrumental mostly), film, travel and book fan. Simplicity is the apex of elegance.
Great review and intro of an Oz brand! For $96, it’s clearly a steal for an automatic with 200wr. Congrats and wear it in good spirit🤙
Great review and intro of an Oz brand! For $96, it’s clearly a steal for an automatic with 200wr. Congrats and wear it in good spirit🤙
Thank you sir. For the money it's a dressy beater for sure.